Report -Easington Colliery Junior Schools - Durham (Aug 2014)

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Old enough to know better

Checked this school out on a bit of a whim with a non member whilst doing something else in the area, we wasn't sure what to expect having not done any proper research on it, first impressions weren't good as it's looking very knackered outside, however inside it was a real treat, heavily boarded but despite this what light there is inside was spot on and seemed to add to it making it really photogenic, hence the overkill on the images (sorry)

I was very surprised i had not seen or heard of this place before, since then having looked for a bit of background i see there is one old report on here from Speed, it really hasn't changed at all since his report in 2010, just matured a bit more

Mucho dead pigeons and their shit everywhere but to be expected the length it's been shut, very surprised this one has not seen more visitors especially the North East explorers.

The School was opened in 1913. According to Kellyâ€™s Directory for 1914 â€œEasington Colliery School for boys, girls and infants when completed will have cost Â£21,000 for 1296 children; average attendance 320 boys, 310 girls and 325 infants.

However further records show that the sexes were separated with the girlsâ€™ school opening 2nd March 1914 and the boys school, a year later on 26th May 1915.
In the separate schools the seniors were upstairs and the younger ones downstairs,The boys building was at the top of the bank separated by two yards from the girlsâ€™ building which was further down the road, nearer to the colliery.
Each department had its own yard with outside toilets. In the senior boysâ€™ yard was a special building,tucked in the corner for woodwork with a matching one for cookery in the girlsâ€™ yard.**
This arrangement continued until 1938 when the â€œNew Schoolâ€ (always known as this even when it was about to be demolished in the 1990â€™s) was built. This building was between the colliery and the village in an area known locally as the
â€˜Waterworksâ€™.